- Police Blotterby Dickinson County News-Times
Dickinson County Sheriff, Chapman, Herington, Abilene
Dickinson County
April 18 to May 2
Accidents
April 21, 8:10 a.m., 2200 Avenue and Jeep Road, Lloyd Guss Bishop, Patricia Michelle Grant
April 22, 9:15 pm., 3300 Camp Rd., Diedre Michelle Stout
April 19, 6:18 a.m., 2400 Jeep Rd., Jacob Herman Andres
April 23, 12:45 p.m., Fifth and Factory streets, Benjamin Miles Love, Nichole Nagel, Timothy Morgan Nelson, Quentin Douglas Stuchlik
April 18, 9:57 p.,m., 283 Interstate 70, Pavo Berresford, Madison Rae Fankhauser
April 23, 1:11 .m., 3600 Hawk Rd., Paul Wayne Slaght
April 20, 9:05 a.m., 400 Bluff St., Caleb Joseph Westendorf
Arrests
April 28, 8:25 a.m., 109 E. First St., Rayfel Lee Dolford, Jr., burglary; criminal damage to property
April 25, 12:05 a.m., 278 Interstate 70, Issac Plascencia, driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked
April 21, 10:58 p.m., 2600 Solomon Rd., Clayton Leo Smith Jr., failure to appear
April 22, 3:03 a.m., 285 Interstate 70, Andrew David Mitchell, possession of hallucinogenic drug; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia
April 20, 10:30 p.m., 214 Cottage Ave., John Wesley Brake, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia
April 20, 10:30 a.m., 214 Cottage Ave., Courtney Nicole Rogers, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia
April 18, 1:27 p.m., 105 E. Sixth St., Brian Lee Coffman, battery
April 20, 12:24 p.m., 214 Cottage Ave., John Wesley Brake, failure to appear
April 19, 10 a.m., Cody Taylor Dodge, 109 E. First St., probation violation
Reports
April 20, 9:07 a.m., 214 Cottage Ave., drug investigation
April 18, 12:43 p.m., 105 E. Sixth St., battery
April 19, 11:07 p.m., 323 Interstate 70, drug investigation
April 25, 9:03 a.m., 109 E. First St., drug investigation
April 22, 5:31 p.m., 285 Interstate 70, drug investigation
April 26, 1:52 p.m., 402 E. Third Ave., aggravated assault
Abilene Police
Reports
April 26, 8:33 a.m., 1511 N. Olive St., theft
April 23, 12:36 p.m., 1993 Caramel Blvd., damage to property
April 21, 1:36 p.m., 1410 Country Club Lane suspicious activity
April 26, 9:38 p.m., NW 10th St. and Spruceway, traffic complaint/investigation
Arrests
April 26, 9:38 p.m., NW 10th St. and Spruceway, possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; vehicle, unlawful act e.g., registration
April 25, 9:34 p.m., N. Buckeye and westbound Interstate 70, Christopher Michael Dansro, theft; failure to appear X2
April 24, 1:10a.m., NW Seventh St. and N. Buckeye Ave., Linda Elaine Diehl, driving under the influence
April 24, 12:02 a.m., SE Second St. and S. Buckeye Ave., Heath Gregory Johnson, driving under the influence
April 21, 11:25 p.m., 109 E. First St., Clayton Leo Smith, Jr., theft.
Chapman
April 25 to May 1
April 25
Outside agency assist
Traffic stop, 2600 block of N Marshall
April 26
Disorderly subject, 200 block of East Fifth
Dog at large, 700 block of Broadway
April 27
Speak with officer, 500 block of Hilltop
EMS assist, 600 block of N Marshall
April 28
Speak to officer, Police Department
Missing dog, 600 block N Marshall
Traffic stop, Fourth and Anderson streets
Suspicious person, Fourth and Logan
April 29
Parking complaint, 300 block of W 5th
April 30
Traffic stop, 700 block of N Marshall
Traffic stop, 900 block of, N Marshall
Speak to officer, Police Department
Vehicle lockout, 200 block of S Marshall
EMS assist, 500 block of Broadway
Traffic stop, Irish and Marshall
Traffic stop, 400 block of N Marshall
May 1
Motorist assist, 1000 block of Marshall
Traffic stop, 700 block of N Marshall
Herington
April 20 – May 3
Accidents
April 22, 2:15 p.m. at 11 W Trapp St. Sarita Tiede, hit and run
April 26, 9:45 at 9 S Broadway. Carol Idleman and Patricia Lawrence
April 29, 6:27 p.m. at 712 W Walnut St. Amanda Miller
Reports
April 21, 7:25 p.m. at 212 N 1st St., theft
April 22, 10:04 p.m. at 319 S Broadway, court order violation
April 26, 12:47 p.m. at 421 S C St., harassment
April 27, 11:26 a.m. at 15 W Main St., trespass notice
April 28, 12:04 p.m. at 2 E Ash St., theft
April 29, 7:51 p.m. at 200 N 8th St., damage to property
May 1, 1:32 a.m. at 1420 W Walnut, trespass notice
Arrests
None to report.
- Governor Laura Kelly Will Sign Bipartisan Bill “Axing the Food Tax,” Providing Financial Relief to Every Kansanby submission to DCNT
Applauds Bipartisan Efforts to Provide Relief to Kansans by Completely Eliminating the State Sales Tax on Food
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced she will provide much-needed financial relief for Kansans across the state by signing the bipartisan bill that will “Axe the Food Tax,” completely eliminate the state tax on food by 2025.
“Make no mistake — today’s action is a win for every single Kansan,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Eliminating the state tax on food will provide financial relief to everyone, and this bill is a good first step. However, prices continue to rise for essential necessities like groceries. We must provide financial relief swiftly – and I call on the Legislature to move the implementation date up to July 1, 2022. We owe it to Kansans to get this done and get it done immediately.”
Kansans pay the second highest state sales tax on groceries at 6.5% driving some families along our border communities to other states for savings. Signing this bill means local grocers and other businesses will begin to see increased revenues by keeping Kansas dollars in Kansas.
House Bill 2106 will take effect January 1, 2023, reducing the state sales tax on groceries from 6.5% to 4.0%. On January 1, 2024, the rate will reduce to 2.0%, and the state sales tax on groceries will be completely eliminated beginning January 1, 2025.
- Mark Robinson and the Kansas All Star Big Bandby submission to DCNT
By Andrew Pankratz
Dickinson County Historical Society
The Dickinson County Historical Society will hold a concert starring the Kansas All Star Big Band Friday, May 13.
Made up of the top jazz musicians of Kansas, the band will play the big-band hits of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Thad Jones, Count Basie, and many more. There will also be a dance floor so that people can get up and dance along with their favorite tunes. Of the 18 band members, one of them grew up in Abilene and still has close ties here.
Mark Robinson, trombonist in the Kansas All Star Big Band, was born and raised in Abilene. When he was four years old Robinson began learning how to play a cornet but switched to the trombone upon entering the fifth grade. The decision to switch to the trombone was made by his father, Bill Robinson, who also played the trombone and decided that it would be easier to teach him an instrument that he already knew well. Despite his father making the decision to switch instruments for him, Robinson was fine with the change and continues to play the trombone to this day. Today, he has to know how to play every instrument in the band due to his role as a band teacher.
Upon entering the fifth grade at McKinley Grade School in Abilene, Robinson joined the band. While he was in sixth grade the band teacher started a Dixie Land group, which he joined. Once or twice a week the students practiced at the high school, which he said they thought was a pretty big deal.
The Dixie Land group played at Old Abilene Town and at the swimming pool during the water carnival in the 1960s. One of his memories of the Dixie Land group was that they performed before they had electric keyboards available and the band director had to load a piano in the back of his truck. When the group arrived at their destination, the band director backed his truck up to where the group was going to perform so that the pianist could sit in the bed to play the piano.
Over time, the Dixie Land group morphed into a group called the Night Owls. The Night Owls performed all around Abilene, including in a place called the Gas Light Club at the Trails End Hotel in 1969 and 1970. They played the Gas Light Club once a month and would pass a hat around for tips. If each band member made $7 or $8, they thought it was a pretty good night. Many of their songs from that period were by Herb Albert, who was quite popular at that time.
After graduating from Abilene High School, Robinson went to Fort Hays University, though he ended up quitting school for a while before finishing his college degree. Also, during this time, he played with a rock group out of Manhattan, known as Albatross. Following his departure from college, he went to work for Cessna in Hutchinson, but he eventually decided that it would be better to finish his college degree after experiencing repeated layoffs. In 1987, he completed his degree in music education at Bethel College in Newton.
With his degree completed, Robinson taught in the Catholic School system in Hutchinson for 23 years and then for four years in Nickerson. For the past seven years he has taught band in the Burrton Schools. When COVID-19 entered the picture, band members had to put covers over their instrument bells and puppy pads on the floor for the brass players to empty their spit on. Rather than purchasing the expensive bell covers, Robinson used women’s nylon stockings. After each rehearsal, he had to spray every chair down. Fortunately, things have come back to more normal now. Currently, Mark has six students in fifth grade, 16 in middle school, and 18 in high school.
The one constant through the years is the Abilene City Band. Robinson joined the Abilene City Band after his seventh-grade year, which he believes probably makes him one of the youngest members. Robinson said the Abilene City Band has formed many of his favorite memories between the performances and friends made. His father, Bill Robinson, is likely the longest serving member of the Abilene City Band. Bill Robinson, who is still active in the city band, played with the Abilene City Band in Dwight Eisenhower’s inaugural parade in 1952.
Robinson, Anthony Panek, and Doug Kaufman came together several years ago and purchased the music and supplies from the collection of the late Sherman Gunn of Hutchinson. Gunn was one of the top trumpet players and led a big band in Las Vegas. He had a large music library and everything one would need to have a big band.
Panek then bought out Kaufman’s and Robinson’s shares as well. With all of this music and equipment, Panek decided that he should start a big band and commenced recruiting the top players in the state. While 90% of the band members are band directors, others are businessmen and even college students.
The Kansas All Star Big Band has four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes, three to four rhythm players, and the bandleader. While the band plays jazz music from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, they also play more music like Buddy Ritch, though they do not have anything written in the past 10 or 15 years. They generally meet once to rehearse before one of their concerts, but each player is expected to know their parts and has practiced extensively before this rehearsal. “When you get to sit and play beside some of the very best musicians in Kansas then that ups it, you know the quality and fun quite a bit,” Robinson said.
Know before you go
Date: Friday, May 13
Time: Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m.
Place: Dickinson County Historical Society, 412 S Campbell St, Abilene
Cost: $10, children 5 and younger are free
Get tickets at: Solomon State Bank in Abilene or in Solomon, Dickinson County Bank in Enterprise, First National Bank of Hope in Hope or Herington, Astra Bank in Chapman, or the Heritage Center.
- Arrest made in shooting death near Solomonby submission to DCNT
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s office is investigating the shooting death of 27-year-old Samantha E. Baum, of Topeka.
According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, officers responded to the Dollar General Store in Solomon at about 9 p.m. Sunday, April 10 for a report of a person who had sustained a gunshot wound. The investigation revealed Baum sustained a single gunshot wound while driving westbound on Interstate 70 near Solomon.
She was transported by Dickinson County Emergency Medical Service to Salina Regional Health Center where she succumbed to her injuries.
As a result of the investigation, Eric S. Wymore, 48, of Beulah, Colorado was arrested for involuntary manslaughter and booked into the Dickinson County Detention Center where he was held without bond pending first appearance.
This investigation remains active. No further information will be released at this time.